René Pape

RENÉ PAPE Gods, Kings & Demons Weigle 4776408

René Pape has the most beautiful bass voice to have emerged in Germany in the last 40 years. For sheer sensuous fullness and smoothness, combined with impressive volume, we have to go back to Karl Ridderbusch for a comparison . . . Pape seems to have everything, including a magnetism which he exerts not only when he appears on stage -- how many performances of "Tristan" have been rescued from mediocrity by King Mark's arrival, when Pape is taking one of his favourite roles . . . but also on disc, as this first solo recital from him immediately testifies. Here he is to be found singing the Devil in various guises, with three Mephistopheles, to all of whom he gives a gliding, insinuating tone of sinister near-geniality, with no snarls, manic cackles or other familiar satanic devices . . . I felt the same with the big King Mark monologue from Act 2 of "Tristan". Surely it has never been so meticulously, warmly sung, with no hint of the grittiness . . . I'd urge those interested in this kind of repertoire and voice to hear or buy it, so that they can listen to this wonderful instrument.

Record Review /
Michael Tanner,
International Record Review (London) / 01. November 2008

René Pape is certainly one of today's towering figures in opera, literally and figuratively: the bass's unbeatable combination of physical stature, charisma, intensity and voice is presented with an extraordinary level of artistic integrity. His musical and dramatic intentions are motivated by intelligence and commitment . . . Pape makes a strong impression as Gounod's devil, a role he's done onstage: "Le veau d'or" is explosively exciting but in firm vocal control and nicely shaded, rather than merely bombastic. The serenade is appropriately oily, and he delivers a terrific laugh at the conclusion . . . there's wonderfully nimble work in the delivery of Boito's poetry. Completing this trio of devils is a spellbinding and sensuous delivery of Berlioz's "Voici des roses" from "La damnation de Faust". Pape's stage portrayal of Filippo in "Don Carlo" is strong stuff . . . Offenbach's "Hoffmann" villains seem tailor-made for this artist . . . and Dabertutto's "Scintille diamant" from the Fiulietta act is just about perfect. Pape's voice is at its most beautiful in the Wagner excerpts . . . In the lengthy Act II monologue for "Tristan"'s King Marke -- one of Pape's great roles in the opera house -- the bass traverses the emotional landscape of betrayal, acute disappointment, love and suppressed anger so naturally as to make the shifts of mood feel seamless . . . Boris Godunov, another role Pape has sung onstage, benefits from that experience in the death scene. Pape . . . integrates his histrionic effects into the vocal line, so they do not sound "applied": this is a very satisfying reading, with Boris's final declaration that he is still Tsar delivered with stunning impact . . . Sebastian Weigle and the Staatskapelle Dresden supply well-paced, well-played accompaniment, but any sense of drama is hinted at, rather than fully realized . . . The level reached is . . . mighty high.

Record Review /
Ira Siff,
Opera Now (London) / 01. November 2008

René Pape, only in his early forties, has been such a strong presence on world stages for the last decade that it's surprising he hasn't recorded a solo recital sooner . . . With brisk support provided throughout by the Dresden Staatskapelle and Staatsopernchor under the direction of Sebastian Weigle, this is a fine showcase.

That the German bass René Pape is one of the most compelling artists to have emerged internationally in the last 15 years is proved again by his phenomenal singing on his new recording of arias by Gounod, Boito, Berlioz, Verdi, Wagner and others. This imaginative program allows Mr. Pape to portray, chillingly, various gods, kings and demons, as the title suggests.

Record Review /
Anthony Tommasini ,
The New York Times / 27. November 2008

Pape is a good god, a good king and a still better singer . . . Pape's singing here is altogether admirable in its sonority, firmness and command of the legato line. He has a natural dignity of utterance and his diction is exceptionally clear, sampled on this record in five languages . . . The support of orchestra and chorus from his native Dresden is an asset, and the recorded sound is excellent.

Record Review /
John Steane,
Gramophone (London) / 01. December 2008

. . . Pape certainly includes dramatic and musical insights in his performance . . . The best examples of Pape's art are found in Wotan's 'Abendlich strahlt', which he delivers lyrically, without just throwing voice at it (though there's voice aplenty, too) and in the two arias from Rubinstein's "The Demon", which are also essentially baritone territory. Pape is never embarrassed by their tessitura and makes lovely things of both . . .

Record Review /
George Hall,
Opera (London) / 01. January 2009

The result is a beautiful, diverse, and fascinating recital, with Pape deftly switching characters from aria to aria . . . fascinating in interpretation and diversity . . . the only one that can really be called a vocal showpiece is "Le veau d'or", and Pape tears into it with brio. The second "Faust" aria is a good an indicator as any of his intelligence as an interpreter . . . this is the most interesting version of this aria I've heard since the halcyon days of Marcel Jourmet. Now, there was a bass, folks, who like Pape had a bass-baritone range . . . his interpretations are fabulous . . . Pape has a lovely and flexible voice . . . his interpretation has only grown better and subtler over the years . . . The Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra plays beautifully under the baton of Sebastian Weigle . . . this recital is a keeper, ranking with the recital discs of Terfel and Bartoli. René Pape is an exceptional talent, not your run-of-the-mill cookie-cutter bass, and this recital is perhaps the finest laurel he has given us to date.